OREANDA-NEWS. On 22 February 2008 was announced, that Credit-Ratings estimates high growth rates of Ukraines retail market will persist in 2008, which will further bolster its investment attractiveness. This will to a great extent be fueled by further growth in populations incomes, anticipated entering of large foreign companies, and ongoing changes in customers likes, which result in domination of such retail formats as supermarkets, hypermarkets, cash and carrys.

The development of this market is today restrained by lack of selling spaces. Thus, the demand for commercial real estate in Ukraine exceeds almost 4x the supply, which makes large national retailers seek other ways for covering this deficit (by working out their own developer projects, leasing storage and industrial facilities to be used as selling premises.

In Credit-Ratings view, to implement investment projects the companies will continue to attract funds from the financial market, specifically via issuances of coupon bonds by both the companies, which have already experienced such issuances and those, which have not. All of that leads to increase in debt burden on retail operators, which now remain on a moderate level of 80-90 percent of the asset volume.

Apart from bond-attracted funds, the retail operators will also draw foreign investments (at least, three national leading retail chains, namely Furshet, Velyka Kyshenya and Silpo, are poised to place their shares at overseas stock exchanges.